Barrie Cassidy to leave Insiders

Veteran journalist Barrie Cassidy has announced his departure from ABC’s Insiders after 18 years.

He will work on the upcoming federal election and exit the show on June 9. He plans to take a break before “rebooting” with ABC later in the year.

Cassidy made the announcement at the Melbourne Press Club’s Quill Awards last night where he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to political journalism, and the The Keith Dunstan Quill for Commentary.

“I see this as a singular honour, given the status the award now holds across the media,” he said.

“In the past, political journalists like Laurie Oakes, Michelle Grattan and Niki Savva have won it. I’m chuffed to be in that company. And I’m very conscious of the fact that I’m the first person from the ABC to win it.

“I have genuinely loved every minute of Insiders,” Cassidy said.

“I have always admired and respected all of the panellists that I’ve worked with, and all those on staff who made it happen, particularly the longest-serving EP, Kellie Mayo.

“But I am convinced after 18 years that it’s time to give somebody else a go. I could list half a dozen within the organisation who could do it well … but I won’t!”

Insiders remains a ratings performer for ABC and a newsbreaker on the political scene.

Director of ABC News Gaven Morris said, “I’ve worked with Barrie for over 20 years and his hunger for new ideas and to always push the act along has never waned.

“It says a lot that in its 18th year Insiders remains the must-see political program of the week and Australia’s most watched morning show.

“Barrie is straight up and down, honest and thoroughly decent. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to have him at Insiders.

“While we’ll miss him in that post, he’ll continue to play an important role in ABC News.”

I’ll miss Barry. I have to disagree with comments suggesting he is bias towards the Left. He regularly grills Labor and LNP pollies alike. The Government of the day is probably held more to account though.

Barrie on Twitter seems to forget he is an ABC employee and not still an ALP employee…. however I just want insiders to stop using cartoons and “comedy” as part of the program, it is just juvenile and detracts from the show.

Maybe Emma Alberici will be given the Insiders hosting gig, with an increasing female presence in the ABC and a new ABC chairman (person) Ita Buttrose likely influencing the ABC’s cultural development, it could reset Emma’s media career. As far as the ABC and the left is concerned well it will certainly be interesting to see whether they are suddenly leaning more to the right when Labor gains power.

Given they fly journalists into the studios each week, that would not be a big thing to fly in Ms Kelly to the studio (she did it when she subbed as host whilst Mr Cassidy was on Long service leave recently)

PS Congratulations on being named Australia’s most prolific journalist with over 5,800 bylines in 2018 according to Media Section of last Monday’s Australian newspaper